When You Can Only Move Forward
by Rivulet027
Summary: AU X-men/Queer as Folk crossover. Michael comes out as a mutant to both Mel and Lindsey and then has to deal with the aftermath while Molly is finding out that she’s a mutant. Eventual Brian/Michael, Bobby/Jean-Paul QaF AU post S3 episode 3
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Queer as Folk or Marvel comics. Neither is my toy box, I'm merely playing.

Warning: This story will contain slash, femslash and het. If that is going to bother us please don't read this.

A/N: Please imagine that Michael referenced comics other than Marvel to Ben in S2 episode 6 Michael makes several Marvel references. Also in that episode Michael referenced Alpha Flight #106 incorrectly. The boy was a girl, Jean-Paul adopted her and cared for her until her death. He then made the decision to come out publicly. Just clearing that up since Jean-Paul will make reference to his daughter Joanne.

Chapter 1:

Michael shifted in his seat on the couch as Lindsey attempted to offer him a drink. He declined and stared at his hands. He glanced up at Melanie who smiled at him encouragingly. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then tried to clear his throat.

"Michael?" Lindsey asked, her concern obvious in her voice. She lightly touched his shoulder, "Are you alright?"

He nodded.

Would she still touch him after he spoke? Would they ask him to leave?

He closed his eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and started, "I'm really honored, and I'd love to have a baby with you Mel…"

"But?" Mel interrupted with a frown.

He mirrored her frown, this wasn't how he wanted to tell anyone. He wished he could keep his secret, the thought that no one knew made the world feel safer to him. He wasn't ready, wasn't sure how his friends and family would react and he'd already gone through enough from being gay.

"I have something to tell you first," he managed, "I haven't really told anyone and I'd appreciated it if you didn't share."

He paused. How was he supposed to continue?

Melanie and Lindsey exchanged a worried look, thinking they already knew what Michael was going to say, but wanting to hear it for themselves and not realizing that they couldn't be farther from the truth.

"Tell anyone what, Michael?" Lindsey pushed gently.

Michael stared at his hands again, "I…I haven't even told…I'm, I'm a mutant."

He closed his eyes tightly, the word sounded foreign on his tongue.

"What?" Mel asked before she gave an abrupt laugh, "That's ridiculous."

"We would know, wouldn't we?" Lindsey questioned with a frown.

Michael opened his eyes to take in their looks of disbelief, "Not all mutations are obvious."

"Someone has to know. Your mother," Mel rationalized.

"Ben," Lindsey added.

"Brian has to know," Mel added with obvious disapproval, "he knows everything about you."

"No, he doesn't. You're the only ones I've told, well the only one in my family. My…Uncle Vic knows, but that's it."

"How long have you known?" Mel asked her lips pursed into a worried frown.

"Since I was fourteen."

Mel shook her head, "That doesn't make any sense."

"Why are you telling us this?" Lindsey added.

"You asked me to have a baby with Melanie, I couldn't do that and not tell you," he managed as he began to stand, "I understand if-if you don't want to…I…I'll leave."

As he started to take a step away from the couch Mel told him, "Michael wait. We need to figure this out and I'm sure Lindsey and I have some questions we'd like to ask before we make any hasty decisions."

Lindsey glanced at Mel with wide eyes. Michael sank back into the couch and clenched his hands together and stared at them, not sure what to say.

"First, what is it that you do?" Mel asked slowly.

"I'm an empath."

"An empath?"

"I can feel other people's emotions and I can change what they're feeling."

Mel pressed her lips together as she thought, "Have you ever done that, changed what someone was feeling?"

Michael glanced up at her, then towards the door before he said quietly, "Only one person."

"Brian," Lindsey guessed, "God, Michael, what'd you do to Brian?"

Tears brimmed at the corner of his eyes, but Michael met her gaze, "I was only a kid, I didn't realize what I was doing until it was too late and…I only made it hurt less. I made him feel safe."

Melanie regarded him as she said slowly, "Honestly I'm not sure I believe you. How could you keep something like this a secret?"

Michael turned from the disapproval in Lindsey's eyes to Melanie's confused, yet sympathetic face.

"I'm gay, that already makes me different," Michael explained, "What was I supposed to do, say I was gay and a mutant? My Mom already wears herself out going overboard accepting my being gay, she doesn't need this too." He picked at imaginary lint on his pants, "Besides I'm not an upper level mutant, not on superhero standards. I pass easily."

Mel nodded, while Lindsey still looked aghast.

"There's more," he managed, "I…had the Legacy Virus."

Mel got up and sat next to him. Lindsey took a step back, sank into a nearby chair, "God Michael."

Melanie touched his shoulder, "I had several friends die…"

Michael looked up at her not quiet believing. She nodded at him encouragingly. He continued, "It was only in the first stages when a cure was found. I talked to Hank, he said I should still be able to have kids."

"Hank?" Lindsey questioned.

"Dr. Henry McCoy," Michael clarified.

"You know him?" Melanie asked.

Michael nodded, "Since I was fourteen. We're friends."

"He's well respect," Mel said.

Michael smiled.

Melanie smiled back, "Thank you Michael, for telling us. But it doesn't change my decision. I still want to have a child with you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I…Do I get to be a Dad? I couldn't do like Bri does, not after having no father."

"Well work out what works best for us," Mel told him, knowing that she too would have questions on how they would raise a child. She'd been hoping to put a contract together that would waive all of Michael's rights, but the look of hope on his face made her want to throw that plan out. She pressed her lips together a moment, thinking, "Have you talked to Ben?"

"About?" Michael asked, "Having a baby yes, he's…"

Michael paused and buried his head in his hands. Mel reached out and rubbed his back, "He's what Michael?"

"He's with me on having a child with you, but I-I just I don't know how to tell him the other thing."

Melanie threw Lindsey a worried look before she wrapped Michael in a hug. She frowned at her wife, not liking the blank, worried look on Lindsey's face.

"Well, you're going to have to figure it out," Melanie told him firmly, "But that's not why you're here. You're here to talk babies with us."

"Yeah," Michael managed a smile as he wiped his face.

Melanie glanced over at Lindsey indicating the box of tissues near her. Lindsey frowned at her confused. Melanie rolled her eyes and got the box for Michael.

"Thanks," Michael said taking them.

"No problem."

They talked for a short time more, polite conversation regarding a child and making plans and arrangements for how best to make that child. Eventually Michael had to return to work, the moment the door closed behind him Lindsey got up from the chair where she'd remained mostly silent, "I can't believe you still want to have a kid with him."

Melanie turned to her confused, "Linds?"

"He admitted to fucking with Brian and that he's lied to us everyday that we've known him."

"I think he explained himself."

"He could be dangerous!"

"Any less dangerous then he was yesterday when you asked him at the last moment to babysit Gus for us?"

"I didn't know then!"

"So finding out he's a mutant changes everything?"

"Mel," Lindsey shook her head as she tried to think how to rationalize what she was feeling.

Mel stood and wrapped her arms around her wife, "For some people finding out that a friend or loved one is gay changes everything."

"Being a mutant is different, you don't get special powers when you're gay."

"Says who? I think I know some people who'd disagree," Melanie teased.

Lindsey frowned, "How can you be joking about this?"

"It's still something your born with, and it's another minority group," Mel soothed, "We have friends who are mutants, you know that, it doesn't make them any less human. Why should we treat Michael any different? He still deserves our love and respect."

"But to have a child with him? You're putting yourself at risk."

"How did we know that Gus wouldn't turn out to be a mutant?"

"He tested negative."

"What if he hadn't? Would you love him any less?" Melanie asked.

"No, but Michael, he's kept this from us for all these years. We aren't even supposed to tell anyone and you're going to have a child with him?" Lindsey continued to rationalize as she took a step away from Mel and began picking up anything she found out of place in their living room.

"I think telling us was a first step for him," Melanie told her, "That by finding us accepting he'll eventually feel comfortable enough to tell everyone else."

"But," she continued before she sunk into a chair, "the Legacy Virus was like mutant AIDS. Mel, what if we'd lost him and we didn't even know why?"

"We didn't. We didn't lose him and now we're going to have a baby?" Mel said slowly the question was clear in her voice, she needed for Lindsey to agree.

Lindsey looked at her hands, "I just, I can't stop thinking about Brian. What did he do to him?"

Melanie brushed a stray strand of hair behind Lindsey's ear, "He took care of him like the two of you always do."

Lindsey glanced at her and then at the door, "He should tell Ben. Ben at least deserves to know."

"It's up to Michael to tell him," Melanie reassured as she wrapped her arms around her wife, resting her chin on Lindsey's shoulder before pointing out slowly, "And hey, it's one less thing for us to worry about right?"

"What?" Lindsey looked confused.

"Mutants don't get HIV, remember that study?"

Lindsey shook her head, "I thought that's what he was going to tell us."

"That he had HIV?"

Lindsey nodded.

"Me too."

Lindsey glanced at the door, "He really should tell Ben."

"He has to be the one to make that decision..."

They both stayed silent for several moments Lindsey staring at the door, Melanie holding and staring at Lindsey before she pointed out, "Lindz, I need you to be okay with this. It's our baby."

Lindsey nodded, turned and gave her a hesitant smiled at about the same time that Justin bound up the stairs at his Mom's house.

"Molly?" he asked as he neared her room.

There was no reply. He frowned as he cracked her door opened and peaked in at a shape huddled under blankets. He sat on the bed and said her name again. Gradually covers came down and she peaked out at him, blinking.

"Hey," he greeted pushing the hair off her head, "Mom say's your sick."

"Migraine," she muttered squinting at him with a frown, "why are you here?"

"We had breakfast together, she asked me to check in on you. She's say it's the third one you've had in the last two weeks?"

She nodded.

Justin frowned, "Wanna go downstairs and watch a movie?"

She grimaced, "You guys think I'm faking don't you?"

"I…"

"It hurts. I just want it to go away."

"Did you take anything?"

She nodded and begged, "Sleep?"

Justin sighed, he wished she was faking, he didn't like the thought of his sister sick and not knowing why. He nodded and gave her a kiss on the forehead, "I'm done with my classes for today, so I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

She nodded and pulled the covers over her head. She listened to him close her door behind him and she frowned hugging her pillow. She was happy to see Justin, she rarely got to anymore, but she wanted to spend time with him, not be huddled in her bed pain pounding over and over in her skull. She shuddered, shut her eyes tightly and wished the pain would go away.

The pain suddenly stopped. She opened her eyes and bit back a scream, her skin was glowing blue. She brought her hand closed to her face and squinted her eyes, she was bright, like a blue light bulb. Then as her covers fell away from her she realized she was no longer on her bed, but floating above it.

"No, no, no, no," she whispered to herself. This wasn't happening. She wanted to scream, but couldn't, not with her brother downstairs. She wrapped her arms around herself and shut her eyes as she tried to tell herself it was all just a bad dream.

She bumped into her ceiling.

Her eyes opened wide. Her mind screamed that she wanted down, and she suddenly fell back onto her bed. She was still glowing a bright blue. She scrambled under her covers, put her face to her pillow and screamed, thankful that it was muffled by the pillow.

She shook her head, this couldn't be happening. If her father kicked Justin out for being gay, would he ever want to talk to her again when he found out she was a mutant?

This couldn't be happening! It had to be a bad dream. She pinched herself. It wasn't a dream. She stared at her glowing skin, which was slowly toning down and fading back to its normal color.

What was she supposed to do now? Why her?


	2. Chapter 2

Michael shut the door to his store behind him and leaned against it taking a deep breath. He glanced at the sign that stated the store was closed and kept it that way as he crossed to the counter. He grabbed his phone. He couldn't believe what he'd just told Mel and Lindsey. He'd kept his secret for so long that it felt unreal to know that he'd told someone. Slowly he moved behind the counter and sat down.

He glanced at the phone for a moment before he dialed a familiar number.

There was the click of someone picking up and then, "Xavier's Institute, Bobby Drake speaking, how may I direct your call?"

Michael laughed, "When did you start sounding professional?"

"Michael? Hi! Trust me, only for the two hours I'm on phone duty then it's me back to being me, I swear. So did you call to talk to me or Hank?"

"You," Michael sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"Hey, you okay?"

"No, not really."

"Well what happened? Do you need me to come down there and visit? Cause we've had this influx of teachers and…"

"I told."

There was a pause, "You…really, who?"

"Mel and Lindsey."

"That's, I never thought you'd tell anyone," Bobby told him slowly before asking confused, "Why them?"

"Mel wants to have a baby with me?"

There was another pause as Bobby thought, "You've talked to Hank, right?"

"Yeah."

"You called and talked to Hank and didn't talk to me?"

"You weren't there. They said you were on some mission in Hong Kong."

There was another silence.

"Bobby? Bobby what happened?"

"I…it was just a stupid mission."

Michael bit his lower lip, "Maybe we need to get caught up?"

"Only if I get to visit you," Bobby told him.

"Okay."

"You gonna be alright?"

"Why, more phone calls coming in?"

"Only happens when I'm trying to have a conversation."

"I'll talk to you later then. Bye Bobby."

"Bye. I'll call you when I manage to arrange the leaving."

Michael set the phone down next to him, before he leaned against the counter and buried his head in his hands. Today was more overwhelming then he was used to and it was beginning to make his control slip. He could already get an inkling of what the people walking by the store were feeling.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and worked on shields to tune out the buzz of emotion coming from the people on the street. His control over his power back to normal he opened his eyes. Still worried about what else the day would bring he opened his store.

* * *

Justin frowned at the ceiling when he heard a loud thunk. His grip on the phone tightened, "Look, Ethan I have to go."

"Why? I thought you said your sister…"

"Yeah, but it sounds like she might have fallen out of bed."

"Her bed that high up?"

"No, but she didn't look right. My mom made an appointment with her doctor for Saturday, but…I don't know, I'm worried."

"Go check on her then, I'll see you when you get home."

"See you then," Justin reassured before he hung up. He bound up the stairs and to his sister's room. He tapped on the door, "Mol? Mols, are you okay?"

"Go away."

Justin frowned, she sounded like she was crying. He opened the door, "Did you fall out of bed?"

She peeked out of her covers at him. Justin's eyes widened. She sniffled, "No, I'm fine. Go away. Please, just go away."

"Molly, have you looked in the mirror?"

With a startled look she brought up her hands, then relaxed, "What's wrong?"

"Your hair, it's blue."

Molly grabbed her hair and brought it towards her face. She frowned at him confused when she saw her normal blonde.

"It wasn't blue before," Justin tried to reason, "When I came up here before it wasn't blue."

Molly frowned confused, "What are you talking about?"

"Your roots," Justin explained.

Molly jumped out of bed and ran for the nearest mirror. She whimpered as she saw that yes, the new hair coming in was blue. More tears slide down her face as Justin joined her at the mirror. She took in her brother's worried expression and begged, "Don't tell. Please don't tell."

Justin felt for the phone in his pocket. His first instinct was to call Debbie. Debbie always knew what to do. Justin shook his head, his first instinct should be to call his mother.

"I think," Justin said carefully, "if Mom can handle my being gay, the divorce from Dad and starting over again then she can handle this."

"She doesn't need this," Molly managed.

Justin put his arms around her, "She deserves to know, she'd want to know."

"What about dad?" Molly sniffled.

Justin frowned, not sure what to tell his younger sister. It was one thing to lose the idolization you held for you father at seventeen, another thing entirely to lose that when you were barely a teenager.

"Justin," she stressed, "he pays for me to go to school. He…he'll hate me too."

Justin pulled her into him, wrapped her in a comforting hug as he told her, "I'll go get some hair dye, he'll never know the difference."

* * *

Bobby drummed his fingers against the desk as he gave the suddenly quiet phones a look that dared them to ring. He checked his watch, he had half an hour more of phone duty. He considered calling Michael back, but decided that he'd wait till he was no longer responsible for the phones. He wasn't interested in being stupid.

He also needed to find Scott, let him know that he was going to check in with Michael. How long had it been since any of them had visited? There were several mutants that associated with the mansion, but didn't live there. Usually they were visited once a year to make sure they were doing well. He knew Michael had called last year and said he was fine, that they didn't need to check in with him. The several phone calls they had didn't count as a check in.

Curious Bobby gave the phones one last warning look before he turned to the nearby computer and after using his password several times was granted access to Michael's file. He began to scan it, looking for the date of their last visit. He knew it'd been a long time since he'd seen Michael, but…two years? Bobby frowned.

"If Scott catches you playing solitaire again he'll…"

"He'll what?" Bobby challenged recognizing the light accent and tone. He glanced up and gave Jean-Paul a grin as the caught the other man leaning over the counter to see what he was doing.

"Who's Michael Novotny?"

"He'll what?" Bobby prodded.

Jean-Paul raised an eyebrow as if to let him know that interrupting him had been childish and now he was no longer going to continue his original sentence. Bobby attempted to ignore the way that one look made his stomach tighten. Instead of responding Bobby rolled his eyes and went back to checking Michael's file. It really couldn't have been two years, could it?

Jean-Paul floated over the counter, landed near Bobby and peeked at the file again, "He's…"

"If you even say cute," Bobby warned.

"I was going to say handsome," Jean-Paul informed him.

"Good," Bobby told him turning back to the computer and ignoring the startled look Jean-Paul gave him, "The last thing he'd want to hear is cute."

"He's not here," Jean-Paul pointed out as he pulled up a nearby chair and sat down. He pulled an apple from the bag in his hand and dropped the bag on the counter near Bobby.

Bobby glanced in the bag and wet his lips, "Twinkies?"

"For you."

Bobby grinned and spun to look at Jean-Paul, "I love you! You are just too cool right now. You are a god, you are…"

"Robert, quit graveling and eat your snack."

Bobby pouted and gave Jean-Paul his best beseeching look. He smirked when this caused Jean-Paul to blink and lose the disapproving look. Bobby couldn't quite place the look on Jean-Paul's face, but he decided he like it.

"I will never understand…" Jean-Paul grumbled to himself.

"Never understand what?" Bobby asked as he grabbed the Twinkies.

"Eat your snack and quit flirting."

Bobby tilted his head, "Not going to give up on this one. You are never going to understand what?"

"I find it annoying when straight guys flirt with me," Jean-Paul informed him with a level gaze.

"You should send Kurt the memo," Bobby threw back as he shoved a Twinkie in his mouth suddenly aware that despite flirting back Jean-Paul thought he was straight. Should he say he wasn't? The way Jean-Paul had looked at him when he'd said that made the word 'straight' almost seem like a question. Was…could…no, Jean-Paul couldn't possibly be interested in him.

"Kurt flirts without realizing he's flirting."

Bobby took a moment to swallow his Twinkie, "Oh, he has you fooled. Kurt knows what he's doing and, trust me, he'd flirt with a rock if he'd thought it'd flirt back."

His statement caused Jean-Paul to give him a speculative look, "Wasn't he supposed to become a priest?"

As Bobby opened his mouth Jean-Paul clarified, "A Catholic priest."

Bobby shrugged, "Kurt's good at multitasking."

That said he shoved the other Twinkie in his mouth. He frowned as Jean-Paul tilted his chin in an indicating fashion. Bobby turned and grinned at Scott. He took in the scowl on his leader's face and swallowed his Twinkie before he greeted, "Hi."

"Aren't you supposed to be answering the phones?"

Bobby shrugged, "They aren't ringing."

Scott's gaze turned from him to Jean-Paul. Jean-Paul informed him, "I'm merely taking a break from grading papers. I don't have a class for another hour."

Scott turned back to Bobby. Bobby grinned, "You're just convinced I'm goofing off, aren't you?"

"That would be par for the course, would it not?" Jean-Paul interjected before Scott could say anything.

"Hey," Bobby protested, "No comments from you. I was working before you decided to hang out."

Jean-Paul's eyebrows rose slowly, "I see."

"Learn to take a joke," Bobby teased.

"I'll consider it," Jean-Paul told him dryly before he announced he had work to do. Bobby looked up, frowning at the speculative look on Scott's face as Jean-Paul let himself out from behind the counter. Bobby leaned over to watch him go.

"Bobby."

Bobby snapped around at the warning tone in Scott's voice and frowned before he countered, "Michael Novotny."

"What about Michael?"

"No one's been to see him in two years."

His words caused Scott to come around the counter and look at the computer screen, "That's in his file?"

"Apparently he called and said he didn't need anyone to come down," Bobby explained, "both years."

"We still should've sent someone, especially with him losing his shields a month ago. No one went to check in with him?"

"He called and talked to Jean and apparently she thought he'd gained control again," Bobby told him, "We were going to send someone, but then we…"

"We what?" Scott prodded after the silence had stretched out between them for a moment.

"Found friends crucified on the lawn," Bobby said in a voice barely there, the horror of that day still fresh in his mind.

"Skin," Scott grated.

"Angelo Espinosa," Bobby said, voicing the young man's name instead of his code name. Even though he hadn't known Angelo personally, the loss still hurt. The relief that they hadn't lost one of the other's he was more familiar with stung more.

The silence stretched between them again, and Scott broke it again, "We need to do a check in as soon as possible. I'd prefer to send an empath, but Chamber will have to do."

"He was thinking more of a visit from me."

"He call here or you call him?" Scott asked.

"I didn't go above your head Scott," Bobby reassured, "He just came out to Melanie and Lindsey and wanted someone to talk to. We agreed we needed to catch up when the phones started ringing."

"Popsicle, times up," Jubilee greeted as she dropped a book bag behind the counter then greeted Scott as well.

"Cool," Bobby grinned, as he began closing Michael's file. He grabbed the bag Jean-Paul had left, "Guess I'll return this before calling Michael."

"Michael?" Jubilee questioned, as she leaned over to catch a glimpse of the file as he shut it down, "I haven't seen him in ages! How is he?"

"That's what he's going to find out," Scott spoke up before he turned to Bobby, "Walk with me?"

Bobby almost laughed when Jubilee gave him a grimace, but bit it back as Scott began down the hall. As he caught up he said, "So, o fearless leader what..."

"We'll decide who to send to Michael at the staff meeting tomorrow. I have to see if I can spare you first."

"Scott, you have me teaching basic math," Bobby pointed out, "You could sub for me."

"Is that the only reason he called, because he revealed that he's a mutant to Melanie and Lindsey?" Scott asked, effectively changing the subject.

"As far as I know, that's it. Hey, Melanie and Lindsey are..."

"I know who they are Bobby."

"You do?" Bobby teased.

"I might not be as close to Michael as you are, but I know a bit about everyone who expects me to look out for them. You sure he's not having difficulty with his shields again?"

"Didn't say anything about it. Really, everyone?" Bobby asked in doubt.

Scott shrugged, "That's my job."

"What do you know about me?" Bobby grinned, "I mean that I wouldn't think you knew."

Scott paused, turned to regard him, "Jean-Paul."

"What about Jean-Paul?"

"Just don't go there, okay," Scott suggested. Bobby tilted his head, it was obviously a suggestion as a friend, but there was still that hint of the leader Scott was in the tone.

Bobby laughed, "You know he has better tastes, right?"

Scott shook his head, "You think he has better taste, he thinks you're straight. It'd almost be funny if I didn't know your track record with guys."

"What? Excuse me?" Bobby asked, the joking gone from his tone.

"Sam Guthrie."

"Sam and I never dated."

"You wanted to," Scott pointed out, before he held up his hand when Bobby started to protest, "You two danced around each other when you were both on a team together. Nothing happened because he had a girlfriend and you, well unless you count Cloud, you've never dated a guy."

"I date women," Bobby pointed out.

"The only reason you haven't dated men is because anytime one gets close enough to you for you to want to you push them away," Scott countered.

Bobby's eyes narrowed. He didn't like where this conversation was going, "What are you trying to say Scott?"

"Bottom line?"

Bobby nodded.

"I need Jean-Paul on staff. He's qualified to teach a variety of classes, he manages to keep them in order and...look Bobby we need him so please don't do anything that might make him want to leave."

Bobby rolled his eyes, "I told you, the guy has better taste then to want me and if you didn't want him to consider leaving why did you take him off the active team roster?"

Scott looked at him confused, "He hates being a superhero."

"So it wasn't some homophobic move on your part?"

"What?" Scott asked, eyes wideing and shaking his head, "I took him off the team because he's one of the best teachers we have."

"Maybe you should have told him that."

Scott swore, "Tell he doesn't really think..."

"Hey," Bobby told him, "I know you're not homophobic, you know you're not homophobic, but maybe you should let Jean-Paul know that."

Scott took the bag from Bobby, "Then I'll be the one returning this."

Bobby shrugged, "Fine, then I'll just go call Michael."


End file.
